California

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In California Town, the Birds Are 'Exploding'

Authorities suspect foul play may be involved in avian deaths in Richmond

(Newser) - There's a mystery in a Northern California town involving dozens of birds dropping from the sky, and signs point to a nefarious cause. Residents of Richmond say they've even seen some feathered friends "exploding," with security footage showing one bird plummeting to its death off a...

Thumbprint Found in 1977 Murder Returns a Hit

Prosecutors: Print, run through FBI's updated system last fall, was found to match Willie Sims

(Newser) - Nearly half a century after a 24-year-old California woman was strangled to death, officials say a thumbprint on a carton of cigarettes has led to an arrest. Willie Eugene Sims was arrested in Jefferson, Ohio, in connection with the death of Jeanette Ralston, according to a Friday statement from the...

Man Killed His Date, Started a Wildfire to Cover It

California's Victor Serriteno faces 73 years for woman's killing, deaths of 2 others in 2020 blaze

(Newser) - A California man who killed his date, then tried to conceal her body by setting a fire that would eventually kill another two people, now faces more than 70 years in state prison. Victor Serriteno, 33, of Vacaville pleaded no contest to three counts of murder and two courts of...

California to State Farm: Go Ahead and Increase Insurance Rates by 17%

Company is granted emergency rate increase for homeowners' insurance

(Newser) - California has approved the emergency rate hike State Farm requested for homeowners' insurance policies in the wake of this year's devastating Los Angeles wildfires. The company will be temporarily allowed to increase rates in the state by 17%, a move that comes on the heels of State Farm having...

Fate of Menendez Brothers Handed to LA Judge

Court to decide whether Lyle and Erik Menendez should finally be released from prison

(Newser) - After months of delays, a hearing starts Tuesday to decide whether Erik and Lyle Menendez should get a chance at freedom after serving nearly 30 years in prison for the double murder of their parents. A Los Angeles judge will preside over the resentencing hearing that's expected to last...

Newsom Pressures Cities to Ban Homeless Encampments

With California's local governments receiving more funding, governor says they should 'end the excuses'

(Newser) - Gov. Gavin Newsom increased the pressure on California's local governments on Monday to take down homeless encampments, saying they need to follow the state's lead by banning the tents on public property. "It is time to take back the streets," Newsom said in a virtual press...

Man Convicted of Road Rage Assaults Is Charged Again

Nathaniel Radimak accused in Hawaii less than a year after release from prison

(Newser) - A driver is accused of a road rage attack in Hawaii—less than a year after being released from prison for a series of similar attacks in California, reports Fox News .
  • Nathaniel Radimak, 39, was charged in Honolulu after allegedly assaulting an 18-year-old and her mother last week. The
...

10 Sickened in Listeria Outbreak Linked to Ready-to-Eat Foods

Products sold in hospitals, stores, and airports across 4 states

(Newser) - At least 10 people in California and Nevada have been hospitalized in connection with a listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat foods from Fresh & Ready Foods LLC, based in San Fernando, California. The US Food and Drug Administration says it is working with state and local officials to investigate....

California Logs a Win in Its Battle With Mosquitoes
They Released Thousands
of Mosquitoes, Then Waited
in case you missed it
May 11, 2025 7:53 AM CDT

They Released Thousands of Mosquitoes, Then Waited

Setting free sterilized males is found to reduce invasive populations in Southern California

(Newser) - Officials are seeing promising signs that efforts to combat mosquitoes are working in Southern California as the season of peak activity begins. A local agency known as a vector control district (VCD) began releasing sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in 2023, followed by a second district the following year. The...

Man Hit With Stalking Charges After Aniston Incident

Jimmy Wayne Carwyle ordered to be mentally evaluated after crashing into gate at actor's home

(Newser) - A judge on Thursday ordered a Mississippi man who authorities say crashed his car through the front gate of Jennifer Aniston's home to go through mental-health court to determine whether he's competent to face felony stalking and vandalism charges. Jimmy Wayne Carwyle, 48, appeared shirtless and wrapped in...

Planes Clip Wings at Another US Airport

Incident in San Francisco was 'totally avoidable,' passenger says

(Newser) - The FAA is investigating yet another incident of planes colliding at US airports. Less than a month after two American Airlines regional jets, one carrying seven members of Congress, clipped wings at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport, two United Airlines planes clipped wings at San Francisco International Airport just...

To Help Hollywood, Newsom Wants to Work With Trump

California governor suggests $750M federal film tax credit program

(Newser) - Weeks after suing the Trump administration over President Trump's troublesome tariffs, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is offering to work with the White House. After Trump suggested putting 100% tariffs on foreign films to revitalize the American film industry, Newsom on Monday offered to partner with the administration to create...

Reopening Alcatraz Won&#39;t Be Cheap
Reopening Alcatraz
Won't Be Cheap
May 5, 2025 11:49 AM CDT

Reopening Alcatraz Won't Be Cheap

President Trump says it would symbolize law and order

(Newser) - Alcatraz, the former island prison in California's San Francisco Bay, hasn't accepted inmates in 60 years. The prison was closed in 1963 because it was too expensive to operate, "costing three times as much as most other federal prisons," per the San Jose Mercury News . It...

States Where EV Drivers Save the Most, Least Money

Washington leads the pack, with Connecticut in last

(Newser) - Not having to pay high gas prices is a big reason many drivers switch to electric vehicles, and a new study by Texas electric company Payless Power finds that the savings is more pronounced in some states. The study crunches data on fuel and charging costs across the US and...

Santa Cruz Thumbs Its Nose at Soda Industry With New Tax

Voters approved 2-cent-per-ounce tax in November

(Newser) - Santa Cruz is set to begin collecting a new tax on sugary drinks starting Thursday, marking the first such levy in California since a 2018 state law that blocked new local grocery taxes. Voters in the city of 60,000 approved the measure in November, establishing a 2-cent-per-ounce tax...

Woman Insists Her Dad Is the Most Prolific Serial Killer Ever

A California woman says her father killed more than 400, but skeptics say the evidence isn't there

(Newser) - A California woman is on a mission to ensure the world knows her father's legacy, but she's having trouble convincing authorities her dad is what she claims he is: the most prolific serial killer in history. SFGate reports it all began about a month ago when Galina Trefil...

10 States That Pay Most (and Least) for Housing

At top of WalletHub's list: Hawaii, where owners spend more than 50% of income on housing costs

(Newser) - If you've been priced out of buying a home over the past few years, the latest analysis out of WalletHub may help you narrow your options down. The site looked at the cost of mortgages and home energy expenses in all 50 states in the US to figure out...

State Bar of California Makes 'Staggering Admission'

Licensing body says some questions on disastrous bar exam were developed with the help of AI

(Newser) - The State Bar of California has disclosed that some multiple-choice questions in a problem-plagued bar exam were developed with the aid of artificial intelligence. The legal licensing body said in a news release that it will ask the California Supreme Court to adjust test scores for those who took its...

Judge Guilty of Murdering Wife
Judge Guilty of Murdering Wife
Apr 23, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

Judge Guilty of Murdering Wife

Prosecutors say Jeffrey Ferguson shot his wife after argument at restaurant

(Newser) - A southern California judge was found guilty Tuesday in the murder of his wife. Jeffrey Ferguson, whose first trial ended in a mistrial when jurors couldn't reach a unanimous verdict, was convicted of second-degree murder in the fatal 2023 shooting of his wife, Sheryl, who was 65. Jeffrey Ferguson,...

Former Fox Host Enters California Race

Steve Hilton says he hopes he'll be running against Kamala Harris for governor

(Newser) - In a surprise move that could shake up California's political landscape, conservative commentator and former Fox News host Steve Hilton has thrown his hat into the ring for the 2026 gubernatorial race, promising a campaign of "positive populism." Hilton will run as a Republican, aiming to...

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